The superfood that can combat metabolic syndrome

Every few months a new super food seems to emerge into the public domain.  Avocado seems to have caught the british public’s imagination as sales soar.  With Avocado the hype seems to be justified.

The fruit slows down and even reverses metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions –

  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • high blood pressure
  • high body mass index (i.e. overweight)

Metabolic syndrome can lead to diabetes and heart disease.

Avocado’s bignest impact is on lipids, or fats, as it can alter levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, trigylcerides and phospholipids.

Researches who reviewed studies of Avocado say there is strong evidence that the fruit has all the ingredients to counter symtoms of metabolic syndrome.   It should be noted that the whole fruit that was studied including the peel, stone, flesh and leaves.

Research

J Tabeshpour, BM Razavi, H Husseingzadeh, 2017, Effects of Avacado (Persea americana) on Metabolic Syndrome: A comprehensive Systemic Review, Phytotherapy Research, Vol 31, Issue 6, pg 819-837

 

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